In the formation of photographic paper it is known that surfaces of varying roughness and patterns can be created by casting a layer of polyethylene against a roughed chill roller. The photographic support is then coated on the chill roller side with a silver imaging emulsion layer. The rough surface is then transferred to the surface of the image creating a rough image surface of significant commercial value.
It has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,861 to utilize biaxially oriented polypropylene sheets laminated to cellulose photographic paper for use as a reflective receiver for the thermal dye transfer imaging process. In the formation of biaxially oriented sheets described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,861, a coextruded layer of polypropylene is cast against a water cooled roller and quenched by either immersion in a water bath or by cooling the melt by circulating chill liquid internal to the chill roll. The sheet is then oriented in the machine direction and in the transverse direction. The biaxially orientation process creates a sheet that is substantially smooth, and in the final image form yields a glossy image. There remains a need to create a rough surface to decrease the gloss of the thermal dye transfer image for consumers that desire a low gloss image.
In U.S. application Ser. No. 08/862,708 filed May 23, 1997 it has been proposed to use biaxially oriented polyolefin sheets laminated to photographic grade paper as a photographic support for silver halide imaging systems. In U.S. application Ser. No. 08/862,708 filed May 23, 1997 numerous advantages are obtained by the use of the high strength biaxially oriented polyolefin sheets. Advantages such as increased opacity, improved image tear resistance and improved image curl. While all of these photographic improvements are possible with the use of biaxially oriented polyolefin sheets, the use of biaxially oriented sheets with solid surface skins for silver halide imaging systems is restricted to glossy images. In the final image format, in which the image is glossy, significant reflection can occur when the consumer views the image with various lighting conditions and viewing angles. For some segment of the photographic market, the large amount of reflection is unacceptable. There remains a need for a non-glossy biaxially oriented silver imaging surface for consumers that desire images with a low surface reflection.
Photographic papers that are smooth and have a high level of gloss have a tendency to show fingerprints, handling marks and abrasions when compared to images printed on non glossy photographic paper. In instances where the final image will be handled, there remains a need for a biaxially oriented photographic support that will have less tendency to show fingerprints and abrasions.
Photographic papers that are smooth on the image side will tend to scratch during consumer handling. These scratches will reduce the commercial value of the image and are objectionable. There remains a need for a biaxially oriented photographic support that will be more resistant to showing scratches.